512. And the third part of the sea became blood, signifies that in consequence everything therein became the falsity of evil. This is evident from the signification of the "third part," as being all (See above, n. 506); also from the signification of the "sea," as being the natural man (See just above, n. 511); therefore "the third part of the sea" signifies the whole natural man and everything therein; also from the signification of "blood," as being falsity of evil (See also above, n. 329). From this the spiritual sense of this verse can be seen, namely, that "the great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood," signifies that the love of self, when it enters into and occupies the natural man, turns every knowledge [scientificum] into the falsity of evil.

[2] The love of self is a love purely corporeal, springing from the rising up and fermenting of worn out parts and the titillation caused by these inwardly in the body; in consequence of which the perceptive faculty of the mind, which requires a pure atmosphere, not only becomes dull and gross, but even perishes. That this is the origin of the love of self can be seen from its correspondence with human dung; for those who have been corroded by this love, when they come into the other life love above all things stercoraceous filth, and its stench is grateful to them, which proves that the effluvium therefrom pleasantly affects the sensory of their smell, as it had before affected the general sensory, which is extended by interior cuticles in every direction. From this alone it can be seen that the love of self is more gross and foully corporeal than any other love, and consequently that it takes away all spiritual perception, which is a perception of the truth and good of heaven and the church. Moreover, it shuts up the spiritual mind and fixes its seat entirely in the natural and sensual man, which communicates most closely with the body and has no communication with heaven. From this again it comes to pass that all those in whom the love of self is dominant are sensual, and do not see the things that belong to heaven and the church except in the densest darkness; and furthermore they reject and deny these whenever they are alone and are thinking with themselves. From this the signification of "the third part of the sea became blood, in consequence of the great mountain burning with fire that was cast into it," can now be seen.

10530. '[Go up] to a land flowing with milk and honey' means feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a land' as the Church, dealt with in the places referred to in 9325; from the meaning of 'milk' as spiritual good, which is the good of faith, dealt with in 2184; from the meaning of 'honey' as celestial good, which is the good of love; and from the meaning of 'flowing' as being full. And since these things are meant by 'a land flowing with milk and honey', feelings of pleasure and delight derived from the good of faith and love are also meant, see 5620. 'Feelings of pleasure and delight' derived from such good are spoken of because the good of faith and love brings real heavenly pleasure and delight. All good brings its own delight; for the word 'good' is used to denote that which is loved, and every feeling of delight owes its existence to love. The feelings of delight meant by heavenly joy and eternal happiness spring from nothing other than the love of what is true and good. The superiority of these feelings of delight to all those belonging to any love that exists in the world is completely unknown to those who suppose that all delight resides in worldly, bodily, and earthly things.